Bek's Minestrone Soup

"The absolute best minestrone I have tasted. A spicy twist on a traditional soup. I make this in large quantities and freeze in 1 cup portions for a fast meal. I sometimes slice and brown a spicy chicken sausage and add it to this soup for my husband who loves meaty soup. Penne pasta or orrichette pasta may be cooked on the side and added at the end!"

Directions

Heat butter in a large pot over medium heat; cook and stir onion and garlic until onion is transparent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add chicken stock, beef broth, and water; bring to a simmer. Stir tomato paste, tomatoes with jalapenos, and potatoes into broth mixture; simmer until potatoes are slightly tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Bek's Minestrone Haiku: "Shazam, this was good! (Added chicken sausage too, per the submitter.)" I followed the recipe as written, but I put everything (except the zucchini) in the crockpot on low all afternoon, and added the zucchini in the last hour so it wouldn't turn to smoosh. Only wish I'd taken Bek's other suggestion and added some pasta at the end, but with the potatoes, we were carb-content w/ this fab soup.

I used this as a base because I used ingredients I had on-hand rather than going to the store. Rather than chicken stock and beef broth I used low sodium vegetable broth and water. Didn't have tomato paste or diced tomatoes with jalapeños. I used diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano. No potatoes or celery. I added the garbanzo beans, onions, zucchini, carrots, green beans and the garlic. I also added in cooked, crumbled sweet Italian chicken sausage. For spices I added Italian Herb seasoning, some extra basil, parsley and some pepper. My husband said he wants this on the rotation, so I must have done something right with the on-hand ingredient tweaks.

I made it 2X in the last few weeks and it is fantastic. The first time i made is exactly and added some sausage pieces at the end. The second time i changed out the potatoes for little pasta twirls and put some extra pepper spice. (I love spicey) I was delicious both times. I will be making this a lot over the winter season!!! Thanks POSHBEKI :)

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.